WAYNE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hartford Funds today launched Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond Exchange-Traded Fund (NYSE: HTAB), expanding its roster to five actively managed fixed income ETFs and seven multifactor ETFs. Sub-advised by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (“SIMNA”), Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF seeks total return on an after-tax basis by investing in a diversified portfolio of taxable and tax-exempt fixed income debt instruments of varying maturities.
“Investors are seeking high quality fixed income solutions providing compelling after-tax returns at a competitive price,” said Vernon Meyer, Chief Investment Officer of Hartford Funds. “Further expanding our fixed income offerings allows us to match our strong mutual fund track record in tax-aware and municipal bond strategies with a similar investment approach in our growing ETF business.”
HTAB seeks to add value by working to capitalize on imbalances in the relationships among sectors and individual bonds, spanning both tax-exempt municipals and US dollar-denominated taxable bonds. The strategy manages interest-rate risk by shifting between sectors, assessing market conditions and adjusting duration1. HTAB’s current expense ratio is 0.39%.
The deeply seasoned team currently manages $17.3B of US Multi-Sector fixed income assets, of which over $2.9B billion is in tax-aware strategies2. Andrew B.J. Chorlton, Edward H. Jewett, Richard A. Rezek Jr., Neil G. Sutherland, and Julio C. Bonilla, will serve as portfolio managers of the Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF.
About Hartford Funds
Founded in 1996, Hartford Funds is a leading asset manager, which provides mutual funds, ETFs, and 529 college savings plans. Using its human-centric investing approach, Hartford Funds creates strategies and tools designed to address the needs and wants of investors. Leveraging partnerships with leading experts, Hartford Funds delivers insight into the latest demographic trends and investor behavior.
The firm’s line-up includes more than 55 mutual funds in a variety of styles and asset classes, as well as a variety of multifactor and active ETFs. Its mutual funds (with the exception of certain fund of funds) are sub-advised by Wellington Management or Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. The strategic beta ETFs offered by Hartford Funds are designed to help address investors’ evolving needs by leveraging a unique risk-optimized approach, which identifies risks within each asset class and then deliberately and systematically re-allocates capital toward risks more likely to enhance return potential. Excluding affiliated funds of funds, as of December 31, 2017, Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC and its wholly owned subsidiary, Lattice Strategies LLC, had approximately $115.3 billion in discretionary and non-discretionary assets under management. For more information about our investment family, visit http://www.hartfordfunds.com.
About Schroder Investment Management
As a global investment manager, we help institutions, intermediaries and individuals meet their goals, fulfil their ambitions, and prepare for the future. But as the world changes, so do our clients’ needs. That’s why we have a long history of adapting to suit the times and keeping our focus on what matters most to our clients.
Doing this takes experience and expertise. We bring together people and data to spot the trends that will shape the future. This provides a unique perspective which allows us to always invest with conviction. We are responsible for $604.7 billion2 of assets for our clients who trust us to deliver sustainable returns. We remain determined to build future prosperity for them, and for all of society. Today, we have 4,600 people across six continents who focus on doing just this.
We are a global business that’s managed locally. This allows us to always keep our clients’ needs at the heart of everything we do. For over 200 years and more than seven generations we’ve grown and developed our expertise in tandem with our clients’ needs and interests.
Further information about Schroders can be found at www.schroders.com/us.
1. “Duration” refers to a measure of the sensitivity of an investment’s price to nominal interest-rate movement.
2. As of December 31, 2017. Firm assets include assets under management and administration.
Important Risks: The fund is new and has a limited operating history. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no guarantee a fund will achieve its stated objective. The net asset value (NAV) of the fund's shares may fluctuate due to changes in the market value of the fund's holdings, as well as the relative supply of and demand for the shares on an exchange. The fund is actively managed and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. ●Fixed income security risks include credit, liquidity, call, duration, and interest-rate risk. As interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall. ●Mortgage related- and asset-backed securities' risks include credit, interest-rate, prepayment, and extension risk. ●The purchase of securities in the To-Be-Announced (TBA) market can result in additional price and counterparty risk. ●Obligations of U.S. Government agencies are supported by varying degrees of credit but are generally not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. ●Derivatives are generally more volatile and sensitive to changes in market or economic conditions than other securities; their risks include currency, leverage, liquidity, index, pricing, and counterparty risk. ●Foreign investments may be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. investments and are subject to the risk of currency fluctuations and adverse political and economic developments. ●Municipal securities may be adversely impacted by state/local, political, economic, or market conditions; these risks may be magnified if the fund focuses its assets in municipal securities of issuers in a few select states. Investors may be subject to the federal Alternative Minimum Tax as well as state and local income taxes. Capital gains, if any, are taxable. ●In certain instances, unlike other ETFs, the fund may effect creations and redemptions partly or wholly for cash, rather than in-kind, which may make the fund less tax-efficient and incur more fees than a more conventional ETF.
Investors should carefully consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other important information is contained in a fund’s full prospectus and summary prospectus, which can be obtained by visiting hartfordfunds.com. Please read it carefully before investing.
Mutual funds are distributed by Hartford Funds Distributors, LLC (HFD), Member FINRA. Exchange-traded products are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc. (ALPS). Advisory services are provided by Hartford Funds Management Company, LLC (HFMC) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Lattice Strategies, LLC (Lattice). Certain funds are sub-advised by Wellington Management Company LLP or Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd. serves as a secondary sub-adviser to certain funds. Hartford Funds refers to HFD, HFMC, and Lattice, which are not affiliated with any sub-adviser or ALPS.
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Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in The Hartford’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings The Hartford makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.
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